Trinity Societies Yearbook 2016

The CSC Societies Yearbook 2015-16

Conferences

Knowledge

Talks

120 Student Societies

Trips

Music

Collaboration Experience

Debates

Drama

Workshops

Events

Get Involved

Student Led Activity Creativity

Cultural Events

Competitions

Afro-Caribbean 37, Alternative Music 17, Amnesty 39, An Cumann Gaelach 43, Animation 39, Archaeological Society 41, Architecture 33, Biological Society 23, Caledonian Society 28, Chapel Choir 25, Chinese Society 12, Choral Society 21, Christian Union 30, CSC Awards 44, DU Dance 42, DU Pirates 29, DU Players 8, DUBES 35, DUCSS 35, DU Film 53, DUGES 53, DUMSS 42, DUSEAS 29, ELSA 9, Environmental 36, Europa 52, Fashion Society 21, Fianna Fail 20, FLAC 34, Food & Drink 37, Fourth Week 10, French Society 18, Genetics Society 25, Geography 22, Germanic Society 31, Global Development 6, History Society 16, Indian Society 52, Internet Society 28, Italian Society 26, Japanese Society 15, Joly Geological 22, Juggling Society 34, Knitting Society 27, Literary Society 38, Maths Society 18, Metaphysical 26, Music Society 14, Muslim Society 16, Orchestra 17, Photography 13, Physics Society 41, Politics Society 40, Pool Society 12, Q Soc 31, Quiz Society 20, Russian Society 14, S2S 23, Sci-Fi 6, Sign Language 24, SMF 15, Socialist Workers 19, SOFIA 33, TAF 38, TEF 32, TES 43, The Hist 7, The Phil 9, Trad Society 30, Trinity Arts Workshop 24, Trinity FM 19, Trinity Singers 27, Vincent de Paul 32, Visual Arts 36, Voluntary Tuition Program 7, Yoga 40, Zoological Society 8

(Index at rear of booklet)

CHAIR’S REPORT Thank you for picking up this year’s Yearbook. These pages offer a description of a selection of society activity from the past year: each society was invited to submit one event that they were particularly proud of, and they are presented here in chronological order. Of course, this is only a tiny subset of the activities that societies run during the year – any attempt to put a comprehensive guide to society activity here in Trinity is sure to fail due to sheer volume and diversity. Nevertheless, this volume offers a taster of all that is on offer here, as well as celebrating the fantastic achievements that we have seen from yet another year of incredible society activities. These society activities contribute hugely to College life; they also provide society officers with opportunities that remain with them for ever. The challenges of running events, of managing committees, of dealing with those in College and outside it: these experiences of running societies are invaluable. This year, for the first time, the CSC launched a Societies Alumni Testimonial Publication. We invited former society officers to write a short piece, reflecting on their time in Trinity and how their involvement in societies has shaped their lives. All of them agree that societies are the best part of life in Trinity, and that what they learned from running societies has

had a huge impact on the way they have progressed in their lives. We were delighted to welcome Leo Varadkar, the Minister for Health, to launch the publication, and he reflected on his time as part of Young Fine Gael in Trinity, as well as his time on the CSC Executive. The skills he learned in those roles are the same as the skills he uses today, though naturally on a very different scale. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Dara Ó Cairbre for designing this beautiful volume, and to the members of the CSC Executive – Jamie, Jim, Liam, Caitríona, Philip, Adam, Síle, Jason, Fionn, Sam, and Tilly – for their help in gathering contributions. My thanks also go to the CSC staff – Lucy, Emma, and Joseph – for their tremendous work during the year. Finally, I would like to say that I have been extremely privileged to serve as CSC Chair this year. It has been a real pleasure to work on behalf of the wonderful people whose own work is the subject of this volume. Reading through the events described here has been a joy – my one regret being that I did not have the chance to attend more of these events. I hope that you enjoy reading about them as much as I did. Andrew Burrows

Freshers’ Week 2015 kicked off with its usual Monday madness. Tables, chairs, gazebos, posters and enthusiastic committee members took position on Front Square, waiting to introduce budding new Freshers to the joys of society life. With events catering to students of all years and backgrounds, campus was abuzz with activity all day everyday throughout the week. The week saw a range of high-quality, informative and enjoyable events offered to students. AIESEC organised ‘Global Village’, which showcased Trinity’s international societies and offered attendees food, music and unyielding merriment. The Politics Society pitted each of Trinity’s political party societies against eachother in a ‘Battle of the Parties’. DU Dance, in collaboration with Trad Soc, Cumann Gaelach and The Phil, even hosted a Céilí on Front Square! The week’s events were as varied as they were engaging. The Phil commenced

their year with a bang, hosting a variety of fun collaborative events, comedy debates and accomplished guest speakers such as Steve Coogan and Baz Luhrmann. Their jampacked Freshers’ Week timetable offered something for everyone. According to President Ludivine Rebet, ‘The Phil were really excited to put on wide variety of events and just have a lot of fun during this year’s Freshers’ Week! We ran a lot of inter-society collaborations to give everyone the greatest opportunity to mix and meet new people and it was so nice to see the GMB buzzing all week long.’ Meanwhile, Trinity Arts Festival continued the legacy of previous years by hosting their uniquely engaging and incredibly exciting ‘Trinity Arts Tour’, which brought together the activities of nine different societies. With support from societies such as ArcSoc and VisArts, and with performances from the Juggling and Afro-Caribbean Society, attendees were treated to a varied and mesmerising tour of their

FRESHERS’ WEEK 2015

new college, with Festival Director Martha Fitzgerald commenting ‘The tour highlighted what we are lucky enough to be immersed in as Trinity students, from the architecture, to the statues and sculptures, to the talent of fellow students (with a performance from fire jugglers and Trinity orchestra - to name but a few).’ With more than 120 societies to sample, Freshers were undoubtedly spoilt for choice by the vast quantity of unique, high-quality, engaging events on offer from Trinity’s student societies. From world-renowned speakers in the GMB to a lunchtime knitting session in the Rose Garden, the week offered a wide variety of events that catered to all tastes and interests. Freshers’ Week 2015 was an incredible success, owing to the vigorous work of committee members and the creative events hosted by societies. The week set a fantastic standard for the year ahead and showcased the best that Trinity life has to offer to students both new and old.

SCI-FI HARRY POTTER QUIZ

One pub just wasn’t enough. When SciFi wants a big event, it becomes a BIG event, and there’s nothing bigger than our Fresher’s week Harry Potter Quiz, which took place on the 22nd September! With over 200 attendees the crowds spilled out of Sweetman’s as we were forced to turn people away and eventually rush and get an entirely new venue to hold a second quiz! (This happens more years than not, you’d think we’d have learnt by now…) There was eternal glory and muggle money up for grabs for the winner, as well as humiliation for answer announcers who got characters’ names wrong! The event was an overwhelming success and of great enjoyment for all those who participated.

With fiendish questions that no Felix Felicis could save you from, as well as crowds large enough that we needed more than one announcer, this quiz divulged into a nerd-fest that left our committee broken and sweaty from running, shouting, drinking, correcting and drinking. Friendships based on Harry Potter may have been made, or broken over conflicting opinions on answers, but the best, and worst, of the college Harry Potter fans braved our challenges in one of our most popular (and hectic) events of the year! And hey this year we didn’t accidently let a UCD team win! Until next year…start brushing up.

On the 29th September 2015, Trinity Global Development Society had the honour of hosting Mr. Raji Sourani, in collaboration with Trócaire Ireland, to give a speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Sourani is the Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights based in Gaza, and has received multiple awards for his work in the past such as the Right Livelihood Award in 2013, the Robert F. MR RAJI SOURANI Kennedy Human Rights award in 1991, and was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International on two occasions (1985 and 1988). Mr. Sourani was joined by Garry Walsh, the Israel-Palestine Programme Officer at Trócaire, who gave a comprehensive introductory speech, explaining the history and context of the conflict leading up to how things stand at the present moment, and explained the work that Trócaire does in aiding impacted civilians.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Sourani then proceeded to give a harrowing first-hand account of the impact of the conflict on civilians in Gaza, lamenting the fact that on both sides of the conflict, human rights abuses were being committed with no form of accountability, despite the existence of laws prohibiting such actions. Mr. Sourani also described his ordeal at the hands of the Israeli government, where he was tortured and imprisoned. Following on from this, Mr. Sourani invited the audience to ask questions, after which both members and guests were invited to a food and drink reception.

The Hist has had a great session this year, with plenty of fab guest speakers coming visit, including Robert Sheehan (star of Misfits), Evanna Lynch (from Harry Potter), and Angus Deaton (Nobel Prize winning Economist). Also, we’ve had a bunch of great debates on a wide range of topics, from ‘This House Regrets Syriza’, to ‘This House Would Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ (against UCD!) and ‘This House Would Join the Dark Side’.

COLLEGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY THIS HOUSE WOULD FREE THE NIPPLE

One of our best debates this year was ‘This House Would Free the Nipple’, which took place on the 23rd September. Our guest of honour, comedian Katherine Lynch certainly spiced up the event when the audience themselves were requested to free their nipples (and a number did!). Potentially a controversial topic, the all-female debaters gave it their best and thrashed out the arguments. It was a great Freshers’ Week event, which provided loads of conversation for the night out afterwards, the Hist’s ‘Anarchist’ UV club night. Not only this, the all-female panel really encouraged female freshers to feel like they were truly included in debating and had a very progressive atmosphere. It was definitely an entertaining and fun debate that really set the tone for the rest of the year.

VOLUNTARY TUITION PROGRAM VTPROGRAMMING

VTProgramming is the newest initiative from VTP. It aims to teach young kids how to write code. Technology is becoming an even bigger part of everyone’s life by the day and it is important that everyone has an understanding of the technology that we all use. What better way to understand it than to learn how the software is put together in the first place! VTProgramming is organised and run by members of VTP out of the Cyber Cafe in St. Andrew’s Resource Centre. It has a core group of kids eager to learn how to write code, a skill that encourages a unique methodology of problem solving. It is even a skill that can be studied in University and morphed into a career.

VTProgramming puts emphasis on teaching the kids how to code in a relaxed and informal manner and the kids are encouraged to engage with each other and learn from each other. VTP hopes that VTProgramming will be a continuing initiative in conjunction with our friends in St. Andrew’s Resource Centre and this year proved to be a great trial run of the exciting new initiative.

du PLAYERS PLAYERS INTRODUCTORY PROGRAMS

WINNER BEST LARGE SOCIETY

Since 2014 DU Players has run the Players Introductory Program, more fondly and commonly known as PIPs. The function of the program is to allow freshers, or any of our members who want to get more involved, a chance to learn how our theatre runs. We run 9 week courses, taught by our own more experienced members, in areas of technical theatre and design. These classes include lighting design, sound devv, costume design, set design, publicity, playwriting and directing. After 6 informative weeks of classes all participants come together and put on the PIPs showcase. The playwriting class writes the plays, the directors direct them, the designers design them and publicity class (you guessed it) publicises them. The program was initially set up to allow freshers who weren’t necessarily interested in acting in one of our Freshers Fest shows a way to get actively involved with the society at the beginning of the year, without ever having to grace the stage. The course continues in Hilary term to allow any of our members, from any year, the chance to learn more about how we function as a theatre-producing society. DU Players is the most active drama society in Ireland, and the most active theatre company in Europe, putting on 2 shows a week throughout term time, meaning we produce almost 60 shows a year. To do this we need a constant supply of theatre makers and designers, which the PIPs courses provide us with.

On the 8th October, ZooSoc gave its members a chance to explore the wilds of Dublin, in an exhilarating night-time Batwalk through Phoenix Park, on the hunt for some of Ireland’s elusive native bat species. Armed with warm coats, torches, and state of the art bat detecting equipment, we were set to find and identify these fluffy flying creatures of the gloom. The bat detecting devices pick up the bat echolocating calls, and deepen them for human ears to hear, and each bat species will have an individual style and frequency at which they call. As we ventured through the twilight, we not only heard, but saw a number of Daubenton’s bat. These small fluffy bat that hunts insects over water, and captivated our party with their aerial acrobatics as they flew over the many small lakes within the park, hunting for their dinner. Though we only found one bat species, throughout the walk, we were never far from the fallow deer that roam the park, from hearing the male’s eerie calls and antler clashing, to seeing their eyes reflected in torchlight between the trees. All in all it was a rare and exciting opportunity to see a wilder side of Dublin.

ZooLOGICAL society BATWALK IN THE PHOENIX PARK

One of ELSA’s most popular events this year was a panel discussion on the current Syrian Refugee Crisis. The panel, organised in conjunction with Trinity FLAC and held on the 15th October, aimed to provide differing perspectives and opinions on the current crisis. The panel featured Susan McMonagle of the UN Refugee Agency, Maria Hennessy of the Irish Refugee Council and Syrian lawyer Gandhi Mallak. The event was an unrivalled success, packing the Davis Theatre and presenting an intriguing discussion, focusing not only on our domestic reaction and the international significance of the crisis, but personal struggle of those fleeing. Very often it is easy to forget about this individual aspect to the crisis, and the words of Mr. Mallak brought this into sharp focus.

ELSA SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS: PANEL DISCUSSION

The consensus of the discussion was also clear, more needs to be done. While Ireland and other nations have attempted to alleviate the crisis, so far it can only be described as a drop in the ocean. While this event is long over, the needs and rights of refugees are still not being met, and may possibly worsen, following the attacks in Paris and the crisis taking centre stage again.

THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

On Thursday the 15th of October, the Phil held a debate on the motion “This House Wishes Dumbledore Had Come Out.” The debate took place during the weekly public business meeting at 7:30pm to the 220+ attendees in the GMB Chamber.

THIS HOUSE WISHES DUMBLEDORE HAD COME OUT

The popularity of this debate stood above many other Thursday-night debates of the session for its atmosphere, rhetoric, and the discourse it created around LGBT+ rights. The night was a fantastic summation of what the Phil does best. Blending popular culture with powerful rhetoric, Trinity speakers past and present dealt with the issues we face when we let sexuality become an integral part of a person’s identity; and what happens when you try to shoehorn narratives into a fictional character’s world. The event was marked by solidarity and respect between speakers and indeed the audience, wanting less to challenge the views held by

others rather than to share their own perspectives. The discourse continued afterwards at the weekly reception and many attendees noted it as the best debate in recent memory; for its passion and engagement. Ex-Student speaker Stephen Lehan received a standing ovation.

Fourth Week is a week dedicated to showcasing the activity, enthusiasm and creativity of Trinity’s 120 student societies. Since its inception, Fourth Week has become a staple of the college calendar, offering students and staff the opportunity to “try before they buy.” All events are free to attend, offering unparalleled opportunities for all to discover something wonderful and new. This year saw more than 60 events fill a jam-packed timetable, with a Falconry exhibition (now a yearly favourite, organised by the Zoological Society), a light painting photographic workshop (organised by the Photographic Association) and a screening of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with live organ accompaniment (organised by DU Music) being just three of the most exciting of the events on offer.

tinuing their campaign to win the hearts and minds of all on campus, the Knitting Society held “Let’s Make a Blanket II”, building on last year’s success. The Politics Society hosted a successful historical and Political Tour of Dublin’s major landmarks for those interested in the capital’s past.

Chances for students and staff to learn useful or unusual skills, or simply to broaden their horizons, also abounded. The Italian Society offered a pasta masterclass, and we were offered the opportunity to relax with the Yoga Society at a free beginners’ class. Con-

The end of the week exceeded even the expectations of those who had experienced its stellar opening. On Friday the Trinity Arts Festival, building on a growing legacy of incomparable Fourth Week events, transformed the Graduates Memorial Building into the “Dark

Fourth Week this year also attracted illustrious speakers from around the globe. On Monday, the Hist welcomed Professor Cass Sunstein, renowned behavioural economist and professor at Harvard Law School, to address members. Thursday saw the Law Society welcome Fatou Bensouda, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, one of the highest profile guests of the year.

FOURTH WEEK 2015 Side of the Rainbow”, a feast for the senses. TAF delivered a mesmerising collaboration alongside the Film Society, DU Dance, Singers and sixteen other societies in re-imagining the world of Oz. The Theological Society, already well on their way to being named this year’s Most Improved Society, hosted Dr. Shirin Zubair to deliver a fascinating address entitled Malala in Context: Gender Education and Academic Freedom in Pakistan.” Despite the demanding schedule for organisers across all societies involved, Fourth Week this year was, as ever, a resounding success. The week stands as a testament to the outstanding work that so many tireless students do to enrich campus life less than a month after the mania of Fresher’s’ Week. With something to satisfy every taste, the true achievement of the week was the unique atmosphere of opportunity and fun created that only student societies can hope to offer across campus so impressively.

CHINESE SOCIEty CULTURE NIGHT

At TCD Chinese Society, our aims are to promote Chinese culture, as well as the interaction between Chinese students and students of other nationalities in Dublin. We achieve this by hosting a varieties of events and outings to support the integration between the two. Events such as Summer Outing, Chinese New Year Feast, and Career Symposium were very successful this year. However, the most exciting event of this year was the Fourth Week Chinese Culture Night in the GMB, on the 20th October. The party opened up with a Chinese lute (pipa) performance followed by Chinese food buffet. Mouthwatering dishes such as dumplings, chow mein, spring rolls, spicy sesame chicken were served with drinks.

Calligraphy, Chinese chess and origami was demonstrated. Our society members were keen to teach and speak to anyone who was interested in these cultures. The Culture Night was the highlight of the year. It was a huge success and it underlined the aims of our society. We welcomed many newly arrived Chinese students to the university and helped them to integrate with students of other nationalities. At the same time Chinese Culture was shone upon this fabulous campus centred in the capital city.

On the 20th October we ran an impressive 4th week event, with more turning up than ever before. The event turned out to be great fun for all and a lot of experience was gained by our new Fresher members. It was a doubles event which over 60 people turned up to in the GMB. We ran four groups with eight pairs in each group. Each pairing played each other once to FOURTH WEEK try to make the top section of the table to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament. TOURNAMENT There was a first round of one frame, followed by quarter-finals and semi-finals, best of three frames, and then the third place playoff and the final were best of five frames. Some of the new members played very well making it quite far through the tournament to the semi-final. It was free entry into the event, with prizes to be won and free pizza and refreshments supplied after for all. This event proved instrumental for advancing tournament match play for our up and coming members and also aided us in selecting members for the two trinity pool teams for the Student Sports Ireland 8-Ball Pool League and the All-Ireland Pool Intervarsity Competition. The competition turned out to be a great success and really started off a great year for Trinity Pool Society.

POOL SOCIETY

On a dark October 21st evening, Dublin University Photography Association brought a colourful display of light to Trinity’s campus. The society’s light painting workshop was organised as part of Fourth Week. Light painting is a photographic technique in which exposures are made by moving a hand-held light source while taking a long exposure photograph. The aim of the class was to get participants involved and creating unique images, while all the time expanding their knowledge of photography.

PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHT PAINTING WORKSHOP

To open members to new experiences and technologies, both traditional and next-generation light painting techniques were demonstrated. Sparklers, torches and LEDs are used to paint with light, while new developments in the field are made possible with tools such as the Pixelstick. Pixelstick allows seamless painting of photoreal images, abstract designs, and animation into long exposure photos. Pixelstick consists of 200 full color RGB LEDs, with a mounted controller that reads images from an SD card and displays them, one line at a time, on the LEDs. It is a revolutionary product and allows highly novel and unique light painting photos to be created. The society made its full set of camera equipment and tripods available to participants so they could engage in the workshop if they didn’t have the appropriate equipment themselves. Committee members were on hand to help with any technical queries on camera settings or composition. The workshop was a huge success, with over 50 participants spending 2 hours outside exploring campus. Participants enjoyed experimenting with the old light painting methods such as using sparklers to write letters, and camera flashes to expose people into shot. However, the favourite was using the Pixelstick to insert images and digital art into images. Long rainbows through the Campanile, the DUPA logo along the Cricket pitch, and a Super Mario environment in Front Square were just some of the images created.

WINNER BEST ONLINE PRESENCE BEST 4th WEEK EVENT BEST POSTER

RUSSIAN SOCIETY FOOD TASTING

The Russian Society’s Fourth Week event was an evening of food tasting and fun at Dublin’s own Russian restaurant Admiral. On the 21st October, we walked from Trinity’s Front Arch with a number of attendees - numbering forty plus people. Some attendees were excited to try blinis and caviar for the first time, other more seasoned diners anticipated a warming bowl of freshly-made Borsch. It was a cold night and upon arrival our guests eagerly seated themselves on large tables laid for our meal before the food was brought out. The first wave saw zakuski (entrées) presented in a mouth-watering buffet, various pickled delicacies were handed around, black bread and herring, cold cuts and good conversation in both Russian and English with a brilliant diversity of nationalities around the table. Then the main courses arrived and people took their seats with plates piled high

with pirogi, Beef Stroganoff, Shashlik and cold glasses of Kvass – a surprisingly refreshing beverage made from fermented bread. The evening wore on and bellies began to fill up and soon every last crumb was gone, so we played a variety of Russian games from Mafia to Durak, sang songs and enjoyed each other’s company. Eventually, well fed and in good spirits we said our goodbyes and thanked the restaurant for all they had done. A hugely successful Fourth Week event, one diner described it as ‘one of the most charming society events he’d been to at Trinity - the food was simply delicious’!

On Wednesday 21st October, DU Music presented a screening of the cult silent film ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’, with live improvised score provided on the organ by Ronán Murray. The spooky event was held during Fourth Week, meaning we were delighted to be able to host any student or member of staff free of charge. The chapel was a perfect setting, made all the more ‘CABINET OF DR atmospheric with the red lighting on the exterior CALIGARI’ SCREENING throwing the building into dramatic shadow. Once inside, the audience were led to their seats by candlelight. Silent film screenings are a rare event for the average college student, so there was a certain novelty factor that drew a great crowd.

MUSic society

The addition of the live organ score made it all the more exciting, as the organist was able to tweak the performance to perfectly match the mood of the action on screen. The character and versatility of the instrument was very well demonstrated, and there was even the occasional musical joke thrown in for good measure! We were also glad to have the opportunity to showcase the chapel, not the most common location for society events. The evening went off without a hitch, and we were thrilled with the positive comments we received from all in attendance.

The Japanese society hosted a mini culture night on the 22nd October. This was a new idea, and it went extremely well! The society wants to provide TCD students and staff to get to know Japanese culture.

JAPANESE SOCIETY

We contacted the Japanese embassy to help us with different equipment. Plenty MINI CULTURE NIGHT of people took this chance for their new Instagram upload! Participants were also able to enjoy traditional Japanese toys that are used in festivals. This gave the event a great vibe. Of course, a Japanese culture night wouldn’t be complete without food. Yes, we had sushi, courtesy of Oishii Sushi. We also served Japanese snacks (Read: Matcha Kitkats.) We were also able to provide Sake and plum wine. In moderation, of course. We aimed to show a fragment of Japanese culture. Food is a major component of Japanese culture, and that is what we focused here. Thanks to this event, we were able to showcase a key component of Japanese culture here in Dublin.

STUDENT MANAGED FUND ASWATH DAMORDARAN

Trinity SMF, kindly sponsored by EY, were proud to begin our 2015 Speaker Series on the 22nd October by welcoming Aswath Damodaran, lecturer in corporate finance and valuation at the Stern School of Business at New York University. One of the world’s foremost experts on the subject of corporate valuations and mentor to some of the finest minds in the world of finance, Professor Damodaran was the first recipient of our “Award for Outstanding Contribution to Finance”. The award seeks to acknowledge the achievements of a business leader or academic who has inspired and contributed to the education of our fund’s membership.

Describing himself as a teacher first, who also happens to love untangling the puzzles of corporate finance and valuation, Professor Damodaran’s talk was nothing short of exceptional. Mixing staggering knowledge with a keen wit, Damodaran entertained and educated throughout his two-hour masterclass, providing an extensive yet accessible introduction to the subject of valuation.

WINNER BEST JOURNAL

TCD MSA were very excited to host a Calligraphy Workshop which gave members the opportunity to learn the skill of writing Arabic calligraphy using a reed pen or “Qalam”, as it’s called in Arabic. All materials were provided, and this workshop was run by the famous Dublin based artist Roxana Manouchehri. The event was held on 27th October in the Global Room. At the end of the event, members got to CALLIGRAPHY take home with them their WORKSHOP amazing completed calligraphy works, their Qalams, and also their ink so that they may continue writing at home or elsewhere. The goal of this event was to provide insight on how calligraphy was developed, what materials have been used from the early days of the craft to the modern day, and how the techniques have evolved throughout the years. As art is a universal gift, this event helped inform the public of Islam’s contribution to this field. Overall, the event was a huge success and all profits were donated to the Children’s Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan.

MUSLIM SOCIETY

HISTORY SOCIETY

DU History’s main goal is to make history fun and accessible to all students, and to bring history to life in a way that’s both entertaining and educational. Aiming to host one event a week, DU History has had many unforgettable events throughout this academic year which have ranged from fantastic guest speakers and academic workshops to club nights, trips away and pub quizzes!

WITCH TRIALS

Taking place on the 3rd November, Witch Trials was a very different event for DU History, and was very much so a hybrid event, combining a guest speaker and re-enactment of an historical event with a social get together after. The performance side was a first for DU History and the combined talent of DU History and DU Players helped to bring the scene of the witch trials to life for a modern audience. Professor Ciaran Brady of the History department provided a talk beforehand in which he outlined the social context that led to the witch trials.

In helping the audience to understand the ideas and anxieties of the time, he heightened how raw the performance would be. As the shrill voices filled the GMB, the audience couldn’t help but feel on edge and uneasy at seeing one of the darkest points in history relived right before their very eyes. Naturally, we couldn’t end the night on such a dark note so we moved on to Sweeney’s where we danced the night away. For the committee, it was a celebration of a job very well done, for the audience it was a distraction from what they’d just seen and a chance to get their minds off the horrors of the Salem witch trials. All the more enlightened and entertained as a result of the night, the Witch Trials was a definite highlight of both DU History and Trinity’s social calendar.

ORCHESTRA METROPOLIS

Trinity Orchestra is a regular in the Irish Festival scene, having played at Electric Picnic and the Forbidden Fruit Festival in previous years. Last summer, we were extremely delighted to have been invited to play at the Metropolis Festival; a new indoor music festival that was held in the RDS Ballsbridge, at the end of November. We decided to put together a totally new programme for the occasion, something that definitely was going to be a hit: LCD Soundsystem! Arranged by the talented Aran O’Grady, the programme included all of the best known and most loved songs by the New York band.

It was an amazing experience to be one of the artists at a music festival, and to see how it all works behind the scenes. The day of our performance started off with a dress rehearsal in the afternoon, where we got a private viewing of the band “Chic”, as they were completing their sound check. A couple Orchestra players even got the chance to talk to Nile Rodgers before he was ferried off in his limousine!

As we started off our performance the hall was still relatively empty, but by the time we launched into the third song, the place was packed with an enthusiastic crowd! The atmosphere was ecstatic, and the concert was a nice break from our classical repertoire. As the stage curtains finally drew to a close, the crowd was yearning for more. Our act was a fantastic success!

This open mic took place on the 18th of November 2015. It was extremely well attended with over 50 people crammed into the top floor of the Chaplin’s pub, a pub which manages to appear secluded despite being on the college’s doorstep. During the night over 20 acts took to the floor to showcase their talents to a receptive audience. We had everything from bands to solo artists playing both covers and original music. Society officer Caroline played three original songs that were very well received. One band got up and played a song from the popular TV show Rick and Morty, then decided to freestyle for a couple of minutes. One new DUAMS member sang a heartfelt original song about Steve Irwin. We even had a member play a traditional Russian instrument which was very cool.

ALTERNATIVE MUSIC OPEN MIC NIGHT

Our equipment manager Ben was challenged by the variety of instruments and voices taking to the stage but he took it in his stride. Our chairperson John, though slightly inebriated, kept everything moving along swiftly such that everyone had a chance to play. It is always humbling to sit and experience the incredible diversity of musical talent amongst our Trinity students, and that’s what made this open mic so special.

From the 10th to the 13th November, Mathsoc went to Barcelona during Michaelmas Reading Week to visit the Museum of Mathematics of Catalonia (MMACA). We went on a guided tour of the museum, which contained many bespoke interactive exhibits that demonstrated various complex mathematical concepts in an intuitive and understandable way. The staff were incredibly friendly, and they had a wonderful passion for mathematics and learning!

MATHS SOCIETY TRIP TO BARCELONA

We also went on a guided tour of the historical buildings on the campus of the University of Barcelona, located in the city centre. The antiquated architecture and open courtyards of the campus were amazing, and the inside was just as stunning, with many paintings and sculptures decorating the halls. Afterwards, we received a talk from a PhD student about their dissertation on the twin prime conjecture. We visited the magnificent Sagrada Familia to gaze at Antoni Gaudí’s beautiful use of geometric fractals, and of course the magic square. We went to the CosmoCaixa, the science museum in Barcelona, which had a wide range of exhibits, including an exhibit that demonstrated the properties of mathematical curves, and examples of their occurrence in nature. Our guide took us to a great little pizza restaurant far away from the usual tourist areas, a well kept secret known only to the locals. Afterwards, our guide showed us around the Gothic Quarter of the city. The food was delicious and the people were welcoming and interesting! Everyone really enjoyed the trip, and came home with fond memories that will last a lifetime.

FRENCH SOCIETY LANGUAGES IN THE WORKSPLACE

One of the many events that French Soc organised this year was the ‘Languages in the Workplace’ event. This event was geared towards providing information to students who study a foreign language in university and were looking to capitalise on that. Speakers from LinkedIn, GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group), the International Committee of the Red Cross and Vacancesoleil. They came in to talk about graduate opportunities and graduate programmes which would increase employability prospects for students contemplating their careers. Vacancesoleil advertised job opportunities on their campsites, for current students, who could use this to fulfil a residency abroad requirement or to simply experience working abroad through a foreign language.

SOCIALIST WORKERS

Following the infamous Charlie Hebdo terror attacks in Paris in January 2015, SWSS came in for criticism from some for holding a discussion under the title of ‘Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie: No To Islamophobia”. While condemnation of such attacks should be taken as granted, we wanted to challenge the dominant media narrative which was fuelling racist attacks on Muslims and legitimising Islamophobia.

RICHARD BOYD BARRETT TD

We were, unfortunately, faced with a similar situation last November following further terrorist attacks in Paris. With the added context of the appalling refugee crisis and calls for military intervention in the Middle East, we felt it was crucial to have a discussion on the importance of not allowing these attacks to be used to justify war and racism. On November 18th, days after the massacre, we invited Richard Boyd Barrett TD of the People Before Profit Alliance to speak on the immediate political challenges facing anti-racists and anti-war activists in the wake of those events. He argued that war and Islamophobia were precisely what created the conditions that allowed those attacks to occur in the first place. The meeting was one of the most well attended events we held this year and typifies what we feel is the importance of principled anti-racist work in the face of a hostile media consensus.

For the first time ever this year, Trinity FM held a club night for our members. Themed around everything that made the 80s great, “Radio Killed the Video Star” was held in the Grand Social on the 19th November. It gave members from all of our shows a chance to DJ in front of a crowd in a top Dublin nightclub, showcasing their favourite music from the 80s.

TRINITY FM RADIO KILLED THE VIDEO STAR

Attended by over 200 people, it was an opportunity for our members to socialise outside of our studio in House 6. Radio Killed the Video Star was held in conjunction with Trinity Television Society and we had a lot of fun producing a promotional video before the event. As a society we hope to make a club night an annual event, using a different theme each year. We were particularly proud of the event as it was our first time ever doing anything like this

quiz SOCIETY TRINITY UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

On the 20th November, Quiz Soc and the Phil hosted their headline event of the year, Trinity University Challenge! The event allowed forty societies and clubs of all types to come together to compete to discover which society had the best quizzers on campus. The top four teams after the qualifier rounds were Quiz Soc, the Phil, the CSC and an independent team (also known as “Team Freedom” because of their American nationality). These four teams participated in the semi-final, where the CSC and “Team Freedom” were the first two teams to answer five questions correctly and move onto the final.

The final was in the genuine University Challenge format, complete with a professional buzzer system and it would have made Jeremy Paxman proud! After a nail-biting struggle, it eventually came down to a tiebreaker, and the CSC eventually emerged victorious. Both teams won Trinity University Challenge mugs and the CSC also won a grand trophy. There was a massive reception both before and after the final, which allowed the different societies to mingle before moving on to the Czech Inn.

The Wolfe Tone Cumann, Trinity’s Ógra Fianna Fáil branch, had a very successful and active 2015/16. We staged several political events, including monster canvasses, visits to Leinster House, visits from past and present TD’s and ministers and our hosting of Queen’s University and Down Ógra branches of Fianna Fáil cumann for the State 1916 Commemoration on Easter Sunday. We also brought a strong contingent to the Ógra Fianna Fáil National Youth Conference in Newry last November, the first NYC to be held in the North.

WOLFE TONE CUMANN - TRINITY FIANNA FAil = BERTIE AHERN

One event that stood out above all was the exclusive visit of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to the Wolfe Tone Cumann on Thursday 22nd October. He talked to us about his role in the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, one of the biggest political achievements in Irish history. We had a massive turnout, meaning this was our best attended event of the year. Bertie gave us his inside story on the peace process, from meeting other major political figures to entering intense negotiations with loyalist paramilitaries. He also gave us his views on the prospect of a united Ireland and how that might be achieved, all followed by a wine reception. We were privileged to take this unique opportunity to hear from him during an event that will undoubtedly shape our futures as students of the Good Friday Agreement generation. This event was in keeping with the Fianna Fáil party’s core value of aspiring to achieve a 32-county Republic.

Into The Woods was the theme of this year’s Annual Trinity Fashion Show. It was an amazing experience for all those involved. The night would have been impossible to accomplish without the help of so many of INTO THE WOODS our members who joined various subcommittees from PR to sponsorship. This year’s show was in support of MSF Ireland and the Berkeley Fund. Model castings, press statements and sponsorship files needed to be organised and constant interaction with PR companies was essential too. Elaborate displays were created and even more inventive photoshoots took up our time as we quietly made our way towards the big night.

FASHION SOCIETY

Soder & Ko opened their doors in October to a mythical woodland, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland. The show celebrated childhood fairytales in a raw, contemporary way, whilst keeping all the whimsy in tact. This combination of two opposing ideas, that might not ideally come together can describe a lot of what is so amazing about fashion. Picnic in the Park and Psychedelic were two of the very different chapters the show presented, similarly they aptly set the tone for the night ahead. The night was filled with everything from original designs from Trinity students and everyone’s personal favourite, Topshop, there was something for everyone. The after party made everyone forget the manic and stress of the night, continuing with the electric energy that was so present during the show itself.

CHORAL SOCIETY HANDEL’S MESSIAH

Every November, the Choral Society gathers in the Exam Hall in Front Square to perform for two nights. November 2015, however, was particularly special because it was our quadrennial performance of Handel’s Messiah. The concerts were held on the 24th and 25th of November, and with the help of our conductor David Leigh, four excellent soloists and an orchestra of student and professional players, we put on a show that we could all be very proud of. It is always impressive to hear such a popular and well liked worked sung by such a large choir!

The performance was the product of a whole term’s work, so we were very keen to attract a large audience, so as many people as possible could see all of the effort we put in. Thankfully, due to the popularity of the piece, the association with Christmas and some very committed publicity work we were able to achieve this goal. In fact, we were able to perform in front of a packed Exam Hall on both nights, which was incredibly gratifying! This was a phenomenal event to be involved in, and we hope that our performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah this March will be every bit as successful.

On the 24th November, 40 members of the Joly Geological Society took off on a three-day adventure to Edinburgh. This location was ideal as it is situated on top of ancient igneous activity which occurred between 350 and 400 million years ago, resulting in the creation of tough basaltic volcanic plugs due to the presence of faulting. Severe glaciations have resulted in the landscape which can be seen today.

JOLY GEOLOGICAL EDINBURGH TRIP

Our trip began with a tour of the Christmas markets, the famous Edinburgh Castle and a trip to Greyfriars Kirkyard to hunt down the graves of James Hutton (a.k.a. the father of modern geology!) and Thomas Riddle, known from the Harry Potter Series. The excursion also included a trip to the Geological Society Careers Day held at the famous Dynamic Earth Center. The evenings were spent sampling the local nightlife, including the odd bit of haggis here and there. The final day comprised of a hike up to Arthur’s Seat, the site of an ancient volcano. Everyone returned to Dublin with happy memories and maybe the odd sore head!

Between the 26th and 29th November, forty GeogSoc members travelled to Bratislava and Vienna for the four day annual international trip. After checking into ‘Hostel Blues’ in Bratislava’s old town center the group sampled local foods in ‘Slovak Pub’, trying goulash, dumplings, and traditional ‘Cosnaková polícvka krémóvá’ and had mulled wine with Slovakian pastries and desserts at the Christmas markets to get everyone in the festive mood. At Columbius University the group a special lecture and TRIP TO VIENNA & city tour with Dr. Aleana Rochovska and her colleague Marcus. Following discussions BRATISLAVA surrounding Slovakian post-socialist development we walked along the River Danube, contrasting wealthy gentrified housing developments with homeless encampments to highlight urban development and social policy failures in Bratislava since the fall of communism. We visited Bratislava Castle, the Slavín Monument, St. Michael’s Gate, the City Museum and other city landmarks; sipped cocktails in the iconic viewing station of the ‘UFO Bridge’; and partied in an abandoned military bunker underground.

GEOGRAPHY SOCIETY

On a day trip to Vienna we noticed the differing influences communism and ancient imperial power had on the development of both cities. We visited the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Hofburg Palace, and passed by the Houses of Parliament, Vienna Opera House, the National Museum and the Christmas markets, then tried some famous Viennese hot chocolate to warm us up before heading back to Bratislava for our last night. It was a fantastic trip thoroughly enjoyed by all our members!

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY ALTERNATIVE CAREES NIGHT

During its 141st year in session, the Biosoc committee wanted to add some new events to our calendar. Alternative Careers night, on the 30th November, was one such event. This was an evening to explore career options and to come to the realisation that your interests in medicine needn’t necessarily confine you to clinical practice. We had three speakers with incredibly successful careers, all of whom had started their careers studying medical sciences. Dr. Gavin Jennings, medicine graduate and presenter of RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio show explained how doing odd jobs in medicine allowed him to pursue his passion in media and never take on a project that didn’t excite him.

Ms. Dolores Keane, practising barrister and former president of the Medico-Legal Society, discussed the fascinating interface between medicine and the law. She highlighted how to follow a career pairing the two and also how to avoid meeting professional like her if you were to practise as a doctor! Dr James Coleman, CEO of medical device company Vasorum LTD explained how he fused his medical knowledge with his entrepreneurial skills to follow a career not only that he loves, but that will also improve patient care internationally. It was an extremely well received and interesting event and we hope to see it grow in the future.

At the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony this year Student2Student decided to take over Front Square with the event Santa2Santa. We asked our volunteers to show up in their signature S2S red hoodies and some festive Christmas gear and to pull off a memorable and fun publicity stunt! We collaborated with VDP to publicise their present giving drive and ended up getting permission from The Provost to let three of VDP’S Trinity Club attendees to turn on the tree lights! It was a fantastic event that we hope to pull off every year to remind the entire college that S2S are always here for them through our mentoring service and peer support service.

S2S SANTA 2 SANTA

To all the people who came – thank you and to everyone else, you won’t miss us this Christmas so get involved!

This year saw one of the most successful collaborative events Sign Soc. has had to date. On the 9th December, we shared a wonderful Christmas party with our friends at Mod. Lang. that was rich in snacks, libations and Christmas cheer care of Mod. Lang.’s Santa and Mrs Claus. This event marked the highest attendance at a Sign Soc. event in recent years and saw a great coming together of signers and non-signers as well as linguists of all kinds! It was great to see our beginner signers blend with members of the deaf community and members from CDS and to see the Mod Langers enjoy the fun and energy of a signed and spoken conversation.

SIGN LANGUAGE CHRISTMAS PARTY

The raffle on the night was a great success and the multi-lingual tunes had everyone in high spirits! We look forward to more similar collaborations in future as we broaden the appeal of Sign-friendly events within the college!

In the spirit of Christmas, Trinity Arts Workshop decided to spread the festive cheer with an Arts and Crafts Christmas Fair on the 15th December. This collaborative event was held in association with DU Food and Drink, TCD Visual Arts CHRISTMAS FAIR Society and Trinity Knitting Society. The Atrium was transformed into an emporium of wine, Christmassy nibbles and an abundance of art pieces kindly donated by members from our classes- we even has a 8ft Christmas Tree adorned with baubles and lights! There was a great selection of art pieces on offer from pottery to oil paintings along with watercolours and life-drawing sketches.

TRINITY ARTS WORKSHOP

Along with a raffle, in which a “lucky” student went home with a Christmas tree, we had DUPA on hand selling their award-winning photo book. A total of €270 was raised on the day and was donated to the Simon Community. It was a great end to a successful artistic term, which say new records for TAW class and membership numbers. We hope to make the Christmas Fair an annual event and accommodate all of our student’s Christmassy needs!

GENETICS SOCIETY CHRISTMAS PARTY

2015/2016 has marked a great year for GenSoc, with a doubling of the member group along with a greater presence at, and diversification of our events. Our seminar lineup consisted of a spectrum of world renowned scientist’s ranging from speakers who have cracked the code of immortality through studies in bats to neurogeneticists who have linked Alzheimer’s disease with playing American Football. Our highly successful Pub Quiz tradition was carried on, along with a collaborative event with numerous other science-based societies to bring the Science Fresher’s PubCrawl that saw over 200 students get involved during Fresher’s Week.

Our most important event each year is undoubtedly the GenSoc Christmas party, on the 17th December, where we see hundreds of students and staff come together for a night of entertainment. Starting in the Genetics building with complimentary beverages, the members engage in beer pong, pipetting and baking competitions along with many Christmas festivities. The night is followed by karaoke and clubbing as the GenSoc members make their way across Dublin City. The GenSoc hopes to continue their work in uniting the department and providing insights to all members of the college into the world of science through innovative events and fascinating speakers.

On the 16th and 17th January, 16 members of the TCD Chapel Choir travelled to Kilkenny for their annual Irish trip. We gathered in the Chapel in Trinity for a practice before getting the bus down in the afternoon. Having checked into the hostel, there was a practice in the Black Abbey, a Dominican Church church in Kilkenny. We then sang at the 6:10 pm mass there, singing parts of the Byrd 4-voice mass and two Tallis motets: Verily, Verily and If ye love me. The services there do not normally have music, and so we were very warmly received. After the mass, we went out for a group dinner before moving on to sample the nightlife of Kilkenny.

CHAPEL CHOIR KILKENNY TRIP

The following morning, battling through sore heads and bleary eyes, the choir gathered at an all-too-early hour to rehearse for and sing at the Eucharist in St Canice’s Cathedral, the Church of Ireland cathedral in Kilkenny. There we sang Darke in F and Mendelssohn’s There Shall a Star from Jacob Come forth. Again, the choir was very well received, and we were treated to coffee and lunch after the service.

After that, it was time to return home. A splendid time was had by all, and it was a great opportunity for the choir to sing in different places and to a different congregation, as well as to get to know one another. We are all greatly looking forward to our next trip!

The Metafizz continued our annual religion debate this year with a debate on the motion ‘This House Believes Theism is a Reasonable Philosophical Stance’. We were very happy to welcome five guests: world famous journalist and conservative religious commentator, Peter Hitchens; former UCD and EUI President, philosopher Prof. Patrick Masterson; Atheist Ireland chair, Michael Nugent; prominent lawyer, academic, politician and activist, Sen. Prof. Ivana Bacik; and TCD Theology lecturer, Prof. Maureen Junker Kenny.

METAPHYSICAL THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THEISM IS A REASONABLE PHILOSOPHICAL STANCE

Over 160 people were in attendance in the Robert Emmett Theatre for 90 minutes of stimulating debate. Peter Hitchens said that ‘Dublin is a city of modest proposals, and indeed, this is a modest proposal’, he argued theism is certainly reasonable, even if untrue, and moreover, that it is reasonable to believe that something did not come from nothing. He also cited the tremendous good that religion has brought to the world. Prof. Masterson spoke about his research in Philosophy of Religion, Phenomenology and Metaphysics as well as his experience of religion over 80 years of life. Sen. Bacik argued that religion has done great harm society, and Michael Nugent, finishing the debate, cited the inherent lack of reason to believe in God or to even entertain the possibility. The debate was greatly enjoyed by all and we later adjourned to the Gingerman Pub on Fenian Street for refreshments and informal discussion.

ITALIAN SOCIETY PIER PAOLA PASOLINI

On the 21st of January, members of the Italian Society were treated to an evening of engrossing lectures and evocative music based around the world renowned Italian author/poet/director Pier Paolo Pasolini. The event was organised in conjunction with the Italian Cultural Institute, the Italian department, and Fogolar Furlan d’Irlanda, a Dublin based group dedicated to promoting the culture of the Friuli region.

Guest speakers from prestigious universities and cultural organisations in Italy and Canada were invited to provide the audience with some fascinating insights into Pasolini’s controversial and powerful work as a poet. Following this, Loris Vescovo, a multi-talented musician from Friuli, regaled the audience with a set taken from his theatrical show on Pasolini and some of the author’s poems he put into music. Of course, it wouldn’t have been an Italian society event without great food and wine, so all guests were invited to tuck into some delicious snacks straight from the “Bel paese” and to sample some of Friuli’s most delectable wines.

TRINITY SINGERS TRIP TO BUDAPEST

On the 22nd January, memories of music were made in Hungary as 84 members of Trinity College Singers flew across the continent to perform to the masses. To ensure that all four choirs of the society were given the chance to showcase their contrasting repertoire, we had performances planned for everyone! Trinity Singers’ performance led by Caroline Richards at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest received a delightful synchronised applause from the audience (perhaps our excellent pronunciation skills at the Hungarian piece, ‘Esti Dal’ wowed the crowd).

Quickly after the performance we were on our way to Kecskemét for the joint concert of Boydell Singers, Trinity Belles and the Trinitones. Boydell Singers, our female choral choir, led by Emma-Jane Stoker-Phelan first set the tone at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music with a heart-warming performance of ‘Give Us Hope’ and more. This was followed up by our newest addition to the society, the all-female a cappella pop ensemble, Trinity Belles. Coordinated by Sinead Alari and Sara Mitchell Garcia, the group sang self-arranged mashups such as ‘Skinny Love’, ‘Riptide’ and ‘I Belong With You’ all in one. The act came to a close as the Trinitones, the all-male a cappella pop group, led by Daragh Kneeshaw and Robert Winterville entertained the crowd with their rendition of ‘Budapest’ and many more. As snow began to silently fall on the train tracks back to Budapest, we knew it could only get better. To complete our Hungarian experience on our last day, we made sure to pay visit to Budapest’s famous sites! Buda Castle, the Széchenyi Thermal Baths and the Citadella were among them. Photos were taken and the very last of our Hungarian forint was spent. With bags packed and everyone accounted for, we boarded the plane with new formed friendships that may very well last forever.

This year KnitSoc has expanded its focus and ran several tutorials on crocheting in light of an increasing number of dedicated crocheters on our committee. On the 28th January, we held a workshop on crocheting Granny Squares, which expanded on our earlier tutorial on the basic crochet stitch. As with all of our events, the whole of the college community is invited to attend and join us for some tea and biscuits. We believe it is important to run tutorials which begin with the most basic skills but which increase in difficulty as the year goes on. After a year with KnitSoc our members have developed a wide range of skills, no matter

KNITTING SOCIETY CROCHET WORKSHOP

what their experience was when joining the society. As our patchwork society blanket has proved so popular, we make sure anyone who attends a workshop has a completed square showcasing whatever technique they have learned that day so that by the end of the year they can sew them together and have a blanket representative of a year in KnitSoc.

On the 28th January, Luke Grehan, a Senior Sophister computer science student, gave the annual Introduction to Git talk. Git is a program used for managing source code in a distributed manner. It allows a group of developers to collaborate on a single software engineering project with ease. It is particularly important for the computer science software engineering group projects in the Hilary term. As such, the event was targeted at those groups of students. The event was marketed both through the school of computer science and online which helped greatly to generate interest in the event.

INTERNET SOCIETY INTRODUCTION TO GIT

The event was a success with a large turnout from computer science students and lecturers alike. Luke managed to capture concisely why Git is an important tool and how students could use it effectively in their software engineering projects.

Our favourite event of the year had to be the Burns Supper, the annual celebration of Scotland’s most famous son Robert Burns. It simply epitomized Scottishness. On the 29th January, we served up whisky galore and a traditionBURNS SUPPER al two-course Scottish meal: a sumptuous gourmet haggis main followed by a desert of wild-berry cranachan. But, first, of course, we had to parade the mighty haggis around the banqueting hall to the raucous musical accompaniment of an Edinburgh bagpiper. During the meal, we heard speeches from our two guests, Charles Maclean, the internationally-renowned whisky expert and actor, and Dr Margaret Robson of Trinity’s School of English. And, as part of the traditional inter-gender banter, a few scores were settled by our committee members with the addresses to the laddies and lassies.

CALEDONIAN SOCIETY

After the dinner, we dashed off three rowdy Scottish reels, to the exuberant musical accompaniment of TCD Trad Soc. We then relocated to Arthur’s Pub, where we segued into boogieing - pretty versatile bunch we are! Burns Supper was special in the way it combined revelry and deep cultural appreciation and our members came away with more than just sore heads and full bellies the next day: a lasting impression of the best of Scottish culture and heritage.

SOUTH EAST ASIAN SOCIETY MAMAK STYLE: SUPPER & MOVIE NIGHT

The Dublin Universities South East Asian Society (DUSEAS) aims to provide a sense of belonging for students living abroad in Dublin. We also aspire to share the wonders of South East Asian (SEA) culture to the Trinity community. The extensive cultural gap between Europe and SEA and the dearth of traditional SEA celebrations and festivities in Dublin address the imperative for the organization of events that infuse the unique culture of SEA. This year’s highlight for DUSEAS is the ‘Mamak Style: Supper & Movie Night’. Held on the 30th of January 2016, in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI), the event garnered the attention and support of students beyond DUSEAS and the Trinity community. ‘Mamak Stalls’ are 24-hour shops of Indian-Muslim origin. They are popular late night hangout spots for delectable snacks, attracting customers of different backgrounds, and are considered integral to SEA culture. During this event, our participants enjoyed mouth-watering snacks – which included Roti Canai, Teh Tarik, Dhal and Chicken Curry – with the screening of an all-time favorite Asian comedy – Kung Fu Hustle. The crowd’s engagement and overwhelmingly positive feedback marked the huge success of the event.

It has been a great year for DU Pirate Party. We have hosted many swashbuckling events (including a tinfoil hat contest) and have all in all had a lot of fun! One event really stands out though and that was our weekend trip to FOSDEM on the 30th and 31st January.

DU PIRATE PARTY

FOSDEM Firstly, for all you non-nerdy people, FOSDEM stands for Free and Open Source Software Demonstration, it takes place in Brussels every year. So on a cold morning in January we set out to go catch our flights to Brussels. Eventually everyone made it to the hostel (with some interesting stories along the way...) it was *cough* early *cough* to bed that night after sampling some of the many many delightful beverages on offer and up “early” the next morning for a quick tram ride out to the university. Once we all made it there (with some more interesting travel stories) the conference itself was something to be remembered! With talks on modular quad copters, designing digital board games, animation and much more there was something for everyone! Our days were spent at FOSDEM educating ourselves and our evening’s sight seeing and attempting to find the best waffles in Brussels! Though we sampled many, many locations we were unable to come to a consensus on this and have deferred the decision to future Pirate Party Members who wish to take on the challenge! Overall it was an amazing weekend with something for everyone and we hope to see you all with us when we go back!

The first week of February saw the Christian Union’s annual Events Week come back with a bang! This year we had five lunch time events and five evening events, ranging from lunch time discussions to an Indian celebration dinner! This week as a CU we sought to reach out to the entire college community and engage with some of life’s big questions that challenge and stimulate us. One of our lunch discussions dealt with the topic ‘Has Science Disproved God?’. This was a fascinating talk by Professor Andrew Bowie of the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, who set out the case that Science has not disproved God through reason and data.

CHRISTIAN UNION EVENTS WEEK

This talk was held twice on the same day to catch those who had different lunch hours and in total around 120 students were able to participate in the event. As always with the Christian Union, we not only nourished the minds of the attendees but also their stomachs with a large array of baguettes. This event highlighted for the CU our desire to engage with the entire college community and begin a conversation about the questions of life that challenge us.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC SOCIETY SPRING RECIETAL SERIES

This year TradSoc launched the Spring Recital Series, the first of its kind in Trinity. Thanks to kind support from the TCD Association and Trust, we secured some of Ireland’s best musicians from the traditional music scene such as Donal McCague (fiddle), Cormac Begley (concertina), Páraic Mac Donnchadha (banjo), Radie Peat (singing and concertina), Cormac Dermody (fiddle), and reception to this series was great both inside and outside of college, being a favourite event for students and lectures alike.

Our ultimate goal of introducing traditional music to a new audience and promoting our culture was achieved and we are particularly proud of the influence it had on several exchange students who have started playing traditional Irish music as a result of these recitals; we believe we helped make their time here in Trinity particularly memorable and cultural. The reception from Irish students in Trinity has also been great; for many of them it was their first time being exposed to top class Irish traditional musicians, in the cosy, fairy lit surroundings of the Atrium and the GMB.

WINNER BEST SMALL SOCIETY

GERMANIC SOCIETY THE FUTURE OF GERMANY IN EUROPE

On the 4th February, the Global Room was a very apt venue for Derek Scally’s address to Germanic Society. The chosen topic, ‘The Future of Germany in Europe’, set the stage for a talk of a much more global nature – the refugee crisis and its potential to dismantle the European Union. This is a global crisis, and one which should unite all nations in our humanity. Germany, through Angela Merkel’s uncharacteristic audacity, has led Europe in attempting to manage the situation.

Scally’s field reports drove home the immediacy of this crisis, the effects of which we are disconnected from in our green peripheral island. He enthralled his listeners with stories of Swedish citizens unable to make their daily work commute to Denmark, having forgotten their passport; of right wing populist anti-refugee protests, often well attended, but more often drowned out by counter demonstrations; of the potential political suicide Merkel has committed in her unwavering commitment to opening the German borders to all refugees. The success of the event can best be attested to by the audience’s enduring engagement and the tangible wave of realisation that we all have a role to play in solving his crisis.

On the 4th February, Q Soc hosted Ireland’s first ever Intervarsity Queer Prom, which proved to be one of our most memorable events of the year. We brought together a hugely diverse group of people from several institutions all across the country for a night of live music, food and drink in the grandiose setting of Trinity’s Dining Hall. Guests were greeted upon arrival by a fire show from Trinity Jugglers before mingling over wine and hors d’oeuvres in The Atrium ahead of the main event in the Hall. Trad Soc warmed the crowd up with a lively performance and were followed by a set from Dublin DJ and drag queen, Pixie Woo.

QSOC (LGBT) QUEER PROM

In true prom fashion there were oversized board games, food, drink and plenty of entertainment. The night was documented by professional photographer Babs Daly with a special booth and several props. From photo ops and party games to live music and refreshments, we’re sure everyone had something great to take away from the event. We hope Queer Prom will go on to become bigger and better every year; other colleges involved have already expressed an interest establishing this as an annual tradition. We believe this event will be our legacy and truly has the potential to reach a national scale, growing year on year to encompass more third level institutions and LGBT societies.

WINNER BEST COLLABORATIVE EVENT

The volunteers in VDP put on an annual Pantomime which involves almost 35 students working alongside over 90 children and intellectually disabled adults from the various activities that we run. This year, on the 4th and 5th February, Shrek took to the stage and what an incredible event it was! The most important part of the Panto are the kids and adults who are involved. Trinity students attend the various schools and social clubs weekly, teaching the kids their songs, dances and lines. The whole production takes months of rehearsing, making over 120 costumes and designing a magnificent set for the stage. The Panto was performed in front of an audience of over 400.

VINCENT DE PAUL PANTOMINE

The Panto affords both kids and adults a unique and special opportunity, making them part of something which they can be truly proud of. It’s a chance for them to get out on stage, showcase their wonderful talents, whilst serving as a positive goal for them to focus on and work towards. The kids adore the annual Panto, the moment it’s over they immediately begin asking about next year’s production. They love taking part with the students and their friends, forever talking about how much fun they’ve had. It’s no surprise that we’re already looking forward to next year’s production!

TEF is a unique two-day forum that combines individual talks and panels with collaborative workshops that allow all delegates to interact with speakers and panellists alike. TEF delegates form an integral function of both the keynote speeches and panel discussions over the two days, featuring Ireland’s top economists and business and political leaders. Beyond attending keynote speeches, panel discussions and workshops, delegates will also have networking opportunities with like-minded students, speakers, journalists and sponsors.

TRINITY ECONOMIC FORUM

This year the forum attracted over 300 students from all disciplines of Irish universities. Over the two days (5th & 6th Feb), the delegates discussed, debated and participated in shaping the future of the Irish economy. This year’s key topics included Brexit, China’s global dominance & The Black Economy. The forum has seen many renowned business people and economists alike speak at the event, with 2016 hosting for the first time a Nobel Laureate in Economics, Vernon Smith. 2017 promises to be even better than what has gone before! TEF does not accept the conditions as they exist; TEF accepts the responsibility for changing them.

SOCIETY FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (SOFIA) AMBASSADOR’S BALL

This year SOFIA’s flagship event was our now annual Ambassadors’ Ball, which took place on the 9th February. In its second year, the ball aims to put students in touch with the Irish diplomatic community in an informal way and aimed to develop table fellowship between diplomats and our wider student body. The event was attended by over 200 students, and 20 ambassadors/members of the diplomatic community - with a wine reception beforehand being held in the college Atrium - where students and ambassadors were free to mingle, exchange stories and generally get to know each other on an informal basis - with live music provided by the Trinity Belles. Following this we had a four course meal in the college dining hall, with each student assigned to a table with an ambassador - a great informal way to encourage communication and dialogue. The event proved to be a great success, with long term relationships between students and diplomats being created. This was evidenced by many of the anecdotes from the aftermaths, such as follow up meetings for coffees, internship opportunities and even invites to further formal events! On the whole the evening proved to be a remarkable success - from the reception at the beginning to the club night after - and has set things up to grow and become even grander in future!

Like two non-matching socks that you accidentally put on one day but then later realise actually go really well together, LitSoc and ArcSoc collaborated on the 11th February to create a delightful and insightful Walking Tour of Literary Dublin. The tour began at Front Arch and wove its way through Trinity’s eclectic architectural and literary past.

ARCHITECTURE LITERARY WALKING TOUR

Some of the highlights included discussing Oscar Wilde and his fight with a provost, Sammy Beckett and his obsession with cricket, Jonathan Swift and his harem of lovers, and many more of your favourite lecture halls. As well as such architectural treasures as The Berkeley Library and why it’s definitely not ugly, Leinster House and its lazy architect, not to mention being serenaded by a chemist in Sweny’s Pharmacy. The fog of impenetrable pomposity that can so easily accompany discussions of such literary legends were dispelled by our team of insightful guides with witty one liners, the venerable ArcSoc Chair and Communications Officer (including some tidbits from the crowd). As Wilde once said: ‘We are all in the gutter, but some of us are on ArcSoc walking tours”

In 2015/16, Trinity FLAC celebrated 25 years of working to promote social justice and equal access to the law for all. To mark this fantastic achievement, a 25th anniversary event was held in the Mansion House on the 11th February. We were delighted to be joined by alumni who had helped establish Trinity FLAC and who had volunteered passionately with the society during their time in Trinity. We were also very honoured to welcome the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ms Críona Ní Dhalaigh and The Hon. Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley as guest speakers on the night. The Lord 25TH ANNIVERSARY Mayor reminded guests of the humble beginnings of national FLAC, which was established by a group of law students in 1969 after attending a conference on legal aid in Trinity. National FLAC went onto to successfully campaign for Ireland’s first legal aid scheme and continues to campaign tirelessly on many social issues. The TCD branch of FLAC was officially recognised as a student society in 1991 and since then has gone from strength to strength, organising legal advice clinics, research projects and many events on human rights issues each year. Ms Justice O’Malley also gave an inspiring address to guests on the night, in which she called on law students to always be alive to the values of FLAC in their careers, no matter what path they may follow after their degree. The celebrations finished WINNER with a wine reception during which alumni shared fascinating stories of their involvement with BEST MEDIUM SOCIETY FLAC over the past 25 years.

FREE LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE (FLAC)

JUGGLING SOCIETY NATIONAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL

Every year, along with a multitude of fire shows, workshops, and general performances and open performance events, The Juggling & Circus Skills society makes an annual trip to the National Circus Festival of Ireland in Tralee, which regularly attracts some of the world’s best circus performers. From the 12th to the 14th February, we were fortunate enough to be able to go to the Belfast Juggling Convention (the next biggest in Ireland) for the first time. While the layout of the Belfast and Tralee Convention were very similar, the acts and group of people who attended were vastly different.

The trip was a great success, and we hope to continue a tradition of attending the convention in future years. Hopefully next year we might even have some Trinity students perform on stage or perhaps take part in the fire shows. Regardless, it is on the trips that our members really blossom the most, learning from different people and mingling with international professionals. This is very important to us, as the society really aims to foster a kind, supportive atmosphere, where anybody, no matter how uncoordinated they claim to be, will be welcomed and shown how to juggle, throw, spin, or balance with ease.

“Every Saint has a past and every Sinner has a future” ~ Oscar Wilde, Trinity Alumnus

DUBES BESS BALL

On the Eve of Saint Valentine’s Feast 2016, BESS Ball took over two floors of the Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road. DUBES hosted a sublime evening, which juxtaposed blissful decadence with wicked mischief as we invited attendees to experience the theme of heaven and hell, welcoming both saints and sinners.

The angels and demons of Trinity College transcended beyond the ordinary, the everyday and into the spectacular, the great beyond - for one night and one night only. Ireland’s largest private black-tie gala society ball enjoyed glorious entertainment from Trinity Orchestra, the Trinitones, The Bentley Boys and DUDJ. The stunning photos from the event seek to capture the craic of biblical proportions that was had on February 13th. With rose petals and ‘kiss me’ coupons scattered around the venue, it is no wonder that our photobooth captured a few shifts that made Cupid himself blush at the romance of it all. As well as a lavish Prosecco reception and a delectable three-course meal, one special highlight on the night was undoubtedly seeing our mascot of the DUBES pig beamed proudly on the match screen above the pitch in the stadium. While the stadium is certainly more accustomed to housing a different genre of ball, it is safe to say that BESS Ball 2016 was a once in a lifetime event. Blessed be those who are damned. DUBES 86th

This year DUCSS placed a larger emphasis on gaming and interactive entertainment, reaffirming this aspect of the society in our aims. The culmination of these efforts was “DUCSS Gaming Week”, from the 15th to the 18th of February. The event highlighted the various aspects of the game development industry from creating a game studio to providing online services to support millions of gamers playing at once.

COMPUTER SCIENCE SOCIETY (DUCSS) GAMING WEEK

The main focus of the event was the 6 speakers who shared valuable insights into their role in the games industry. We were delighted to welcome veterans of the industry such as John Romero of id Software and DOOM fame as well as indigenous talent such as Elaine Reynolds who is building her own games studio in the heart of Dublin. Competitive gaming was also represented with a mid-week Call of Duty Tournament with prizes generously donated by Demonware. The atmosphere in the room was charged with players competing on the projector screens to be crowned DUCSS Call of Duty champion.

TCD Environmental Society hosts fun and informative events aimed at getting students involved and active around environmental issues. This year we again hosted Green Week, from the 15th to the 19th February, a multi-day event with a wide range of activities. To start off the week we had a talk from ‘adventurer, activist and dude’ Rob Greenfield. He explained to us how he had been a typical student in university before changing his perspective on our relationship with the planet. He went on to cycle across America twice on a bamboo bike, all whilst living sustainably and cheaply by eating surplus food from supermarkets. He definitely made a big impression on a lot of us and hung out with us after the talk.

ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY GREEN WEEK

Throughout the week we had more speakers as well as a pub quiz with EngSoc and an upcycling workshop with tips on how to fix up old clothes and electronics. Our sustainable fashion show, in collaboration with Fashion Soc and Lucy’s Lounge was a huge success. The clothes on show ranged from being made from old plastic sheeting to branches found around Trinity with some more conventional designs in between. It was hosted by the vintage shop Lucy’s Lounge and the designs certainly lived up to expectation. Another event that took place was a Vegan & Vegetarian discussion and food tasting event, with model Roz Purcell and blogger Aisling Tuck. A range of different Vegan and Vegetarian foods were passed around such as vegan cheese and beetroot canapes whilst Roz and Aisling spoke of the benefits of adopting such diets. Whether you want some tasty food, want to meet amazing people, have a passion for change or just WINNER want to learn how little daily sustainable acts can BEST FRESHER save you money, EnviroSoc really is for everybody!

visUAL arts STAFF & STUDENT EXHIBITION

On February the 15th we launched our Annual Staff and Student Exhibition for the year 15/16 in Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, the centrepiece of our society’s calendar. This year’s exhibition marked the 8th instalment of the event, and was hugely successful, as it had been in previous years. It was especially significant this year, given VisArts turns 50 in 2016!

We received a huge amount of submissions, with varying styles and media. From life-sized oil portraits, to prints, and even a playable glockenspiel - the exhibition was certainly not short on variety. Choosing from over 120 submissions, VisArts had the pleasure of browsing through the highest quality of works from our talented body of students and staff. The exhibition started with a launch party which consisted of a lavish reception and a speech from History of Art’s Yvonne Scott - one of Ireland’s foremost authorities on modern art. The wine flowed aplenty and the celebration continued in Wigwam for an afterparty where dance tunes from Voxx and hip-hop duo Kojaque led us right into the early hours. After the excitement of the launch, the exhibition ran for two more days, receiving visitors from both the college and wider Dublin. It ended on the 17th of February as another successful exhibition, and we are confident it will continue to be the same standard for the next 50 years of Visarts!

afrocaribbean VARIETY SHOW

On the 18th February, the Afro-Caribbean society had a variety show, where we asked students to show off any talent they have in a room full of other students. We are particularly proud of this event as it gave students a chance to relax, get to know other students from Trinity College and other colleges whilst appreciating other students’ talents. It was encouraging to see how many students came, as we had the room to more than full capacity! The best part about it was how varied the performances were; we had musicians, magicians, comedians, a spoken word artist and our college wide famous awesome drummers! Other students were even encouraged to take to the stage after and show off their not so hidden amazing gifts. By the end of the night, nobody wanted to leave, but like all things, it had to come to an end. It was such a huge success that we are strongly considering making it an annual event of ours!

The 18th February saw the return of F&D’s legendary event; FEAST! This event is not unlike any other held in Trinity. As the name suggest, FEAST involved a series of over 5 courses of exotic dishes such as fresh seafood, aubergine caviar, oxtail ragu, zesty sorbet and of course, cheese. This year included a whiskey cocktail as an extra course at the end of the night.

FOOD & DRINK FEAST

With the delicious food comes overflowing wine! Whites and reds were served by our catering team throughout the evening and not once was there a dry glass in the house. Speaking of the house, this year’s venue was an alternative warehouse – turned banquet hall decorated with colour and vibrancy by the creative and innovative committee team. However, FEAST is not just a feast of food and drink but also a feast for the senses! Other entertainment throughout the night included a professional Spanish guitarist, a film composed of iconic movie scenes projected onto one of the walls of the venue, a ‘Tree of Love’ art installation and a hand picked music playlist. After the feast we all gathered at the afters venue, Wigwam, where we danced to groovy beats provided by DUDJ and enjoyed delicious drink deals all night long.

TAF Talks was a brand-new initiative taken on by Trinity Arts Festival 2016 in order to provoke inquiry into the place of Women within the Arts Industry in Ireland as a follow-on from the public ‘Waking The Feminists’ discussion which took place in the Abbey Theatre in November 2015. As a society, we wanted to bring something unique and politically-engaged within the Arts to the Festival this year, in order to highlight TAF as an organisation of social innovation, bright ideas, and inclusivity in terms of how we speak to our TAF audiences and most importantly: what we talk to them about. We invited a number of Arts-Industry professionals in Ireland (and abroad) to come and host a public event, exploring their individual practices in the Arts as well as their experiences as women in their individual contexts.

TRINITY ARTS FESTIVAL (TAF) TAF TALKS

The talks culminated in a concluding Panel Discussion in the Jonathan Swift Theatre on Friday 26th February where we had Zia Holly (Lighting/Set Designer), Kristen Harrison (Publisher), Ali Coffey (Casting Director) and Karin McCully (Dramaturg) speak on the subject in a broad, over-arching way which brought the plight of women in the Arts-Industry today to the fore of the conversation. The discussion was chaired by Dr. Melissa Sihra (Professor of Drama at TCD and Chairperson of the Irish Society of Theatre Research), and really highlighted the need for change within the arts, which was particularly relevant in the context of 1916- the inequality, internalised misconceptions, and social discrimination at play in all sectors within the industry were put as a matter of utmost concern. WINNER BEST MAGAZINE

LITERARY SOCIETY

Trinity’s Literary Society has celebrated the society’s 50th year in true class. Dr. Darragh Downes asked us; ‘What would Nietzsche say?’, Richard Swan intrigued us all with ‘T.S. Eliot, Medieval Mysticism and Lana Del Rey’, and we went Around the World with Words. The sell-out Dickensian Christmas Ball wrapped up Michaelmas Term wonderfully in a decadent celebration of 50 years of Alumni and members.

LITFEST

During Week 6 of Hilary Term, the society’s annual Literary Festival took life and members were treated to a myriad of exciting literary events. On the Thursday evening of the festival following our annual Publishing Panel, we challenged our members to a game of COUNTDOWN, just like the TV show. Members gathered in teams to create the longest word possible from nine letters having asked for a number of vowels and consonants. A team of two emerged victorious and were awarded a LitFest t-shirt. Our anagram annihilators then moved on to Chaplin’s bar where spoken word/hip-hop/acoustic duo Tebi Rex performed for us. Workshops, a Medieval banquet, a Speakeasy and Aosdána guests were among the other events offered by the festival. Trinity’s Literary Society’s 50th anniversary has been a joyous and memorable year for all of our members and Alumni alike.

AMNESTY THE REFUGEE CRISIS (THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE)

On February 22nd, Amnesty International and SoFIA ran an event entitled “Europe’s response to the Refugee Crisis: The Female Perspective”. This event was organised in order to fill a gap in the discussion on the refugee crisis so far, both within Trinity College Dublin and the wider community. It centred on the experiences of women and their accounts of the events from a number of perspectives.

We first had an overall account of the crisis through a number of reports given by Ashling Seely, the head of the S.O.S Europe campaign for Amnesty International, which then paved the way for a more critical and academic understanding of the crisis. Then we were addressed by a PhD candidate within the Near and Middle Eastern Studies faculty within Trinity who spoke about feminism in Islam and the frequent misinterpretations and stigmas attached to the faith with regards to their treatment of women. In addition she also spoke of the West’s massive influence in this regard, whose presumed superiority in the spread of democratic values has a detrimental impact on both hosts and refugees. Our final speaker was Pru Waldorf - a representative and founding member of the grass roots organisation Callais Action. She spoke in depth about the day-to-day work that she had been carrying out in both Samos and Callais and gave a real sense of what giving aid actually entailed whilst also relaying the gravity of the situation independent from the bias and misinformation that corrupts a lot of the media and government organisations. Overall the speakers were engaging and informative and the various approaches gelled well together to give a well-rounded insight into a relatively unexplored perspective of the refugee crisis.

TCD Animation is a society made by and for animation lovers. We show animated movies from around the world, as well as some well known classics from the likes of Disney, Dreamworks and Studio Ghibli. This year, on OSCARS NIGHT the 23rd February, Hollywood came to the society as TCD Animation hosted its inaugural Oscars’ Night. Members and committee had a chance to put forward their favourite animated shorts for a special screening. The winner was determined by public vote. Featured shorts included stories such as: how to live with a crocodile; a girl and a fox; and a precocious rabbit alchemist. This year’s winner was Julie Faugere, who won with her choice “The Revolution of the Crabs”, a French animated short that touched on themes such as destiny and the courage to rebel against a predetermined path. She was crowned Animation Maestro 2016. The question still remains: will she retain her crown in 2017 or will she be defeated by some young up-and-comer? Well, there is only one way to find out: join the Animation Society and enjoy some really cool movies with some really cool people.

ANIMATION

With the General Election fast approaching, we at the Trinity Politics Society were doing our best to raise awareness and inform people. To this end we decided to host a mock general election debate on the 23rd February, the Tuesday before the vote. We were fortunate enough to have Senator Sean Barrett as our chairperson for the evening to moderate the debate between the representatives from the eight student parties in Trinity. Part of our aims as PolSoc is to ensure that students are informed about those political issues that affect them in particular. Our speakers put forward their parties’ positions on student fees, climate change and the eighth amendment before we opened the debate out to the floor.

POLITICS SOCIETY MOCK DEBATE

We witnessed a brilliant level of oratory and political discussion to match anything seen in the Leaders’ Debate later that evening. Labour’s woes on the doorstep were replicated in the lecture theatre as they came under heavy fire, while SWSS (representing AAA-PBP) and Renua were soon at loggerheads. Fianna Fáil meanwhile stuck to their general election strategy by remaining aloof and letting Fine Gael take all the flack. Overall it was a brilliant evening, with a jam-packed lecture hall enjoying the discourse on offer. It is so important to have student engagement in politics, and we at the Trinity Politics Society always strive to encourage this.

YOGA TRIP TO SLIGO

On the 26th of February the Yoga Society took off once again to the wonderful land of Sligo where yoga, sleep and tea were had by all. Our home for the retreat was the fabulous Gyreum Ecolodge. This was the perfect location as it was secluded enough to allow for a proper break away from modern stress, but with some interesting sites nearby to occupy our free time.

This yearly custom was a fantastic opportunity for us all to get to grips with a wide array of yoga styles. These included Pranayama (focusing on breath control), energising Asana (poses to get us ready for the day), relaxing Asana (after a hard days’ yoga) and Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation that can help you sleep). While our bodies were being strengthened, our minds were given a welcome chance to destress. Between our evening meditation and mantra, the rural location, and the cosy atmosphere, we were free to simply enjoy the moment and relax. The idea of community was fostered beautifully by having everyone take part in the cooking and cleaning. The vegetarian meals were a triumph and the tea and biscuits helped nicely to keep our energy up! With such a great group of people (and the Ecolodge’s resident cat), along with the amazing schedule of yoga practises, it is no surprise that the weekend was a roaring success. So here’s to next year; undoubtedly it will be as peaceful and informative as this year’s trip.

PHYSICS SOCIETY GENEVA TRIP

On the 29th February, 80 Physoc members travelled to Geneva for a tour of CERN, the biggest particle physics research laboratory in the world. This was possible due to some very generous donations from the TCD School of Physics, The Institute of Physics (IoP) and the Trinity Alumni Foundation. The tour began with a talk about the history of CERN and the workings of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We then split into different groups for tours of some of the different facilities of CERN; the CERN Control Centre (CCC) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Control Centre (AMS) to name a few. There we were given a more in-depth description of how the LHC and the AMS operate. We were also given a tour of the test facility where we saw the different parts of the particle accelerator and learned about how they worked. We spent the remainder of the trip exploring the beautiful city of Geneva! We tour of CERN was amazing and overall we all had a fantastic time in Geneva.

For this year’s international trip, Arch Soc took over Malta from the 1st to the 5th March. Our merry gang of eleven members explored sights across the entire island, learning about the small Mediterranean island’s colourful history along the way. From the cathedrals and museums of Valetta to the Domus Romana in Rabat, our trip took us on a journey through Malta’s prehistoric, Greek, Roman, Phoenician, Medieval, and historical archaeology.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MALTA TRIP

The Neolithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra on the south coast of the island were of particular interest to our members (pictured here at the Mnajdra temple). Designated UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1992, these two stunning megalithic temple complexes are among the most ancient religious sites in the world, dating to the fourth millennium BC. The stunning limestone construction and breathtaking setting on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea made the visit a truly religious experience. This international adventure was only one of the many highlights of our year! Our annual Imperial Ball with the Classical Society sold out in record time, we welcomed lectures from experts in fields ranging from Maya archaeology to Nordic shipwrecks, and we donned our bed sheets in the Pav yet again for our annual Freshers’ Week toga party.

On 2nd March, DU Dance took on the tremendous task of hosting the national Dance Intervarsities. This competition is an annual event which sees universities and colleges all over Ireland compete in the categories Irish Dance, Hip hop, Contemporary, Jazz and the Mixed Dance Piece. Intervarsities is a multi-day event which spans over three days. A huge number of society members were involved, with a total of 60 society members competing as well as almost 100 volunteers, ushers, and tour guides. There were over 500 participants from 12 colleges and over 200 Spectators.

DU DANCE INTERVARSITIES

As one could imagine this was no easy feat to co-ordinate. However, we overcame many challenges both prior to the event, during the organisation period, and on the day of the event itself. To say that the event ran seamlessly would be to tell a lie, but without a doubt it was the most successful event held by DU Dance to date. Not only were we filled with pride for hosting such a spectacular event, but all of our teams managed to come away with trophies: our Hip-Hop, Contemporary and Jazz teams placing second and our Irish team coming away with first place! Months and months of hard work and dedication went into the organisation of the event and we think we can speak for everyone when we say it was with a heavy heart that we watched the stage being disassembled and turned off the lights of the basketball court for the final time.

MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (DUMMS)

Although usually renowned for our career focused events and excellent rapport with industryleading management consultancy, accountancy and software firms, we sure know how and when to sit back and enjoy the party! We took a break from discussing and managing the business world’s problems from 2-4th March, by kicking off our annual (AND UNIQUE) DUMSS International Mystery Tour!

This year saw our largest ever group embark on the tour. Arriving at Dublin Airport at 4:30am, the foggy fatigue of the group was a sight to behold. This was quickly erased when the 2016 mystery location was revealed – Barcelona!!! The prospect of lounging on the beaches under the sweltering sunshine of the Catalan capital sparked scenes of mass elation. MYSTERY TOUR

Two thoroughly enjoyable days ensued; a trip to the Nou Camp stadium, some extravagant architecture at the Sagrada Família and several sun-burnt students! This year’s tour was arguably the greatest in many years, a fantastic bonding experience where many lasting memories were made and new friendships formed. The whole society grew closer as a result, with massive enthusiasm for future events, social and career focused alike. Now that the party is over, let’s get back to business!

AN CUMANN GAELACH BERLIN TRIP

In aghaidh dul amach go Chonamara nó cuairt a thabhairt ar an gcathair Bhéal Feirste, an bhliain seo bheartaigh an Cumann Gaelach rud beag difriúil a dhéanamh; i mbliana d’aimsigh muid orainn féin i mBeirlín. Ón 3ú don 5ú lá Márta thugamar cuairt ar chraobh Chonradh na Gaeilge i mBeirlín, muidne an chéad Chumann Gaelach 3ú leibhéal len é seo a dhéanamh!

Déardaoin, bhí turas timpeall na cathrach tabhairte dúinn ag Robaird, Berliner a bhí líofa sa Ghaeilge, bhuailemar chomh maith leis an Leas-Ceannaire den Ambasáid i mBeirlín agus thug sí caint dúinn faoin obair a dhéanann siad. Tar éis lá iontach briomhar chuamar amach le saol na hoíche a fheiceáil, fiú ghlac ár n-oifigeach Siamsaíochta an seans ‘Óró’ a chanadh os chomhair phub lán le Gearmánaigh. Ar an Aoine bhí deis ag chuile duine radharcanna na gcathrach a fheiceáil dóibh féin, deiseanna le na méadta pictiúir a ghlacadh. Bhuaileamar arís leis an gConradh Bheirlín agus bhí ceol agus tráth na gceist againn, i nGéarmainis agus i nGaeilge. B’iontach an rud é Gaeilge a chloisteáil i bhfad ó fhód na hÉireann. This year An Cumann Gaelach decided to do something a little different instead of going to the wilds of Connemara or the surprising little Gaeltacht nestled in East Belfast, this year we found ourselves chatting away as Gaeilge in East Berlin! From March 3rd-5th we paid a visit to the Conradh na Gaeilge branch in Berlin, becoming the first 3rd level Irish Language Society to make a trip abroad! On Thursday, we enjoyed a tour of the city with Robert, a fluent Irish-speaking native Berliner, and met the Deputy Head of Mission of the Irish Embassy for tea and a chat about the work they do. After more exploring of the city in the afternoon we got a chance to experience Berlin’s famous nightlife, with our Ents officer Seamas taking the opportunity to sing Óro Sé do Bheatha Bhaile to a crowded bar when offered the mic by the MC. WINNER Friday and Saturday gave everyone an opportunity to check out the sights of Berlin, and of course to get pictures for instagram at the East Side Gallery. On Friday afternoon we met again with Conradh Berlin and joined them for some music and a table quiz, in both German and Irish. It was amazing to hear so much Irish being spoken so far from home.

The Inaugural Trinity Startup Fair in association with Bank of Ireland took place on the 7th March in the foyer of the O’Reilly Institute. The Trinity Entrepreneurial Society (TES) brought in startups from Trinity College and further afield to present to students. A huge turnout of over 400 students descended on the venue with the aim of learning about life in a startup but also looking to find out more about the many jobs on offer. With an Oculus Rift and Drone on show, the room was buzzing, demonstrating the great enthusiasm for entrepreneurship there is amongst students in Trinity College.

BEST COLLABORATIVE EVENT

ENTREPRENEURIAL SOCIETY (TES) STARTUP FAIR

Alongside the stands, workshops ran throughout the two-hour event. Future Finance spoke about the future of banking, an area that is experiencing huge disruption at the moment. Kim Pham discussed success in securing venture capital and the common mistakes that many people make along the way. Finally, Jamie White ran a highly enjoyable and informative Q&A session alongside Amr Dawood, finishing off what was a dynamic and engaging trio of workshops. Niall O’Farrell, a former RTE Dragon and founder of Blacktie, also made an appearance, providing mentorship to the startups on show. Overall, the feedback from students, startups and entrepreneurs alike was overwhelming positive and we look forward to this event experiencing great success well into the future.

CSC BALL 2016 Hot on the heels of the awards, dinner was served, another element in common with a Debutante ball. CSC Treasurer Jamie Buckley was particularly enamoured of the entrée, a charming Caesar salad; “exquisitely crafted to whet the appetite” opined Mr. Buckley.

work that they do, met with a unanimous and unending standing ovation from all present. Unfortunately, Lucy was unable to attend the awards. Reports of society individuals “pouring one out for fallen homies” to honour her absence are, as yet, unconfirmed but widely understood to be truth.

Stuffed and satisfied and several belt-notches looser, all settled in for the final awards of the night. Societies’ choice award – voted on by those present on the night – was awarded to Traditional Music Society. Next up, Overall Society of the Year was awarded to a well-deserving FLAC. These awards were then followed by this year’s Alternative Awards, MC’d The esteemed members of Trinity admirably by Samuel Ford, giving Josociety filtered into the dining room, seph O’Gorman a run for his money. a room vaguely familiar to some Highlights included – Best Big Tall from Officer Training back in Mich- Person (Sheila Naughton), Most Hipaelmas Term, mired as it is in the ster Committee (Arc Soc) and Least mists of time. A murmur grew to a Relevant Event (Sarah Rafferty visits babble, which swelled to a chatter LawSoc). To cap off this section of and, ultimately, a certifiable buzz. Oh, the evening, Caitriona Sheil presentyes! Seated and suited and ready for ed the CSC staff with flowers as a dinner there was just one matter left token of appreciation for the stellar to attend to; the awards.

With all of that palaver and prelude out of the way so began the final section of the evening. Tables were pushed back, sleeves rolled up and the dance-floor populated by TCD’s great and good. Our dee-jay for the evening neatly unified all the elements of a Debs Ball with his music selection, which got all and sundry— from Dance Soc to the Choral Society—up and bopping into the wee hours. “Unreal!”, one reveler is said to have exclaimed. And so, by the time the lights came up and a horde of bleary-eyed hacks pitched forth into the crisp early-AM, it was clear that a great evening was had by all.

On Wednesday 9th of March, the illustrious O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel opened its doors to the good folk of Trinity’s societies to celebrate the 2016 Society of the Year awards (#SOY2016 yo). The assembled masses, haggard and gaunt from their year of society stewardship, nonetheless resolved to celebrate the night in style. Handbags and gladrags were broken out, cobwebs shaken off and thoughts of academia put on ice as all got ready for a night not unlike many of our secondary school Debs except there are awards and a slideshow and there’s a photo of Ricky McCormack as well for some reason?

See you all next year!

AWARDS: Best Poster: Habitat DU Photographic Society Best Journal: In Focus (SMF) Best Magazine: TAF Programme (Trinity Arts Festival) Best Individual: Amy Chappelhow (DU Film) Best Fresher: Cheryl Notaro (Environment Society) Best Large Society: DU Players Best Small Society: Traditional Music Best Medium Society: FLAC Most Improved: TCD Theological Society Best Event: Habitat (Photographic) Best Collaborative Event: Ă&#x2030;igse Thuar Ceatha (Cumann Gaelach, QSoc, Tradsoc) Best 4th Week Event: Light Painting Workshop (Photographic) Best Multi-Day Event: Film Network (DU Film) Best Online Presence: DU Photographic Society

BEST POSTER: Glen Byrne

Habitat - DU Photographic Society (DUPA)

BEST JOURNAL: In Focus

Student Managed Fund (SMF)

BEST MAGAZINE: TAF Programme

Trinity Arts Festival 46

BEST INDIVIDUAL: Amy Chappelhow DU Film Society

BEST FRESHER: Cheryl Notaro

Environmental Society

BEST LARGE SOCIETY: DU Players 47

BEST SMALL SOCIETY: Traditional Music

BEST MEDIUM SOCIETY: Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC)

MOST IMPROVED SOCIETY: Theological Society 48

BEST EVENT: Habitat

DU Photographic Society (DUPA)

BEST COLLABORATIVE EVENT: Ă&#x2030;igse Thuar Ceatha

Cumann Gaelach, QSoc, Tradsoc

BEST FOURTH WEEK EVENT: Light Painting Workshop

DU Photographic Society (DUPA) 49

BEST MULTI DAY EVENT: The Film Network DU Film Society

BEST ONLINE PRESENCE: DU Photographic Society (DUPA)

BEST OVERALL: Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) 50

DECADANCE saw some of Trinity’s most decadent language societies traversed through time on the 11th March to celebrate all things bourgeois. Featuring classical music, champagne, red lipstick, furs, haute-cuisine, high ceilings, clerestories, and of course, a cacophony of European languages, the event truly was a celebration of the good old feudal / aristocratic / elitist days.

EUROPA DECADENCE

Though the event spawned nominations for awards such as “Most Hungarian Emperors in one Location”, “Best Display of Taxidermy 2016” and the ever prestigious “Carafes and Pichets Commemoration Prize”, one thing is for certain, this ball really did serve as a glittering example of effective intersocietal collaboration. Working as part of a team of 5 societies, affairs were smooth and consensus was eminent. One may even have called us the allied forces. DECADANCE was truly an event which combined and reflected each one of the true loves of this noble society (history, languages, current affairs, luxury, drama and frivolousness). We hope Europa’s legacy will be honoured in the years to come.

INDIAN SOCIETY HOLI

The academic year of 2015/2016 was a path breaking year for Trinity Indian Society in ways more than one. With a higher number and frequency of events, this was a year of several firsts for us. To begin with, we successfully organized our first ever outside-Ireland event in New Delhi, besides hosting a talk on entrepreneurship, an indoor cricket tournament and a legion of Bollywood movie screenings and Indian food nights. Having said that, once again the highlight of the year for the Trinity Indian Society was our marquee event, Holi. Holi, the quintessential festival of colors celebrated with zest and frolic on a mega scale in India is simulated on annual basis in TCD by the Trinity Indian society and 2016 was no exception.

On March 23rd, roughly 500 students and staff members assembled in Front Square painting each other with colors while dancing to catchy Bollywood numbers making it an absolutely breathtaking spectacle for onlookers. Besides the fun and excitement that was associated to the event, it also demonstrated the racial equality that the TCD campus encapsulates within itself. Holi 2016 was immensely successful in conglomerating people from different backgrounds and ethnicities devoid of any discrimination, a feature that bespeaks of Trinity Indian Society’s mission of promoting Indian culture to the general public in Trinity. See you in Front Square next year!

DU Gender equality society (DUGES)

It was really important to me to organise something like Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gender But Were Too Afraid to Ask (Within Reason, Like), because despite knowing for ages that I was probably trans, not ever having anyone to talk to about it, meant that for years I kept it repressed. I wanted to make an event that anyone could come to, whether they identified as trans or not to find out more about themselves or their trans friends.

Trans people of different genders and at different stages in their transition were asked to contribute and we all spoke about our experiences, what was most important to us to learn as we went through, what we most wanted to communicate and then opened it up to questions from the audience. Often trans people can be a bit reticent to answer questions about themselves (for good reason!), which means it can be hard to get this kind of information for people who are genuine in wanting to understand more and I know for a least a few people, this event helped them discover more about their gender, which was the best I could have hoped for!

On the 22nd and 23rd January, DU Film held its inaugural Film Network. This was a conference and networking event for those interested in learning more about filmmaking and working in the film industry. The event started on Friday evening with a panel discussion on the Irish film industry which included topics such as the future of Irish film and the new approaches that graduates will have to take if they wish to get into the world of film and television. This was followed by a networking reception where the attendees had the opportunity to meet with all the film professionals speaking at the event.

DU FILM SOCIETY THE FILM NETWORK

On Saturday, there were a series of talks and presentations with filmmakers from a variety of backgrounds including producers, costume designers, cinematographers, gaffers, production designers, documentary filmmakers and art directors. These talks gave attendees the opportunity to learn about areas of the film industry that they may not have been previously aware of and allowed them to find out more about the specific roles that make up a film crew. The event had something for everyone and provided an excellent opportunity for those in attendance to learn more about a career in filmmaking.

WINNER BEST INDIVIDUAL BEST MULTI-DAY EVENT

index Afro-Caribbean 37 Alternative Music 17 Amnesty 39 An Cumann Gaelach 43 Animation 39 Archaeological Society 41 Architecture 33 Biological Society 23 Caledonian Society 28 Chapel Choir 25 Chinese Society 12 Choral Society 21 Christian Union 30 CSC Awards 44 DU Dance 42 DU Pirates 29 DU Players 8 DUBES 35 DUCSS 35 DU Film 53 DUGES 53 DUMSS 42 DUSEAS 29 ELSA 9 Environmental 36 Europa 52 Fashion Society 21 Fianna Fail 20 FLAC 34 Food & Drink 37 Fourth Week 10 French Society 18 Genetics Society 25 Geography 22 Germanic Society 31 Global Development 6 History Society 16 Indian Society 52 Internet Society 28 54

Italian Society 26 Japanese Society 15 Joly Geological 22 Juggling Society 34 Knitting Society 27 Literary Society 38 Maths Society 18 Metaphysical 26 Music Society 14 Muslim Society 16 Orchestra 17 Photography 13 Physics Society 41 Politics Society 40 Pool Society 12 Q Soc 31 Quiz Society 20 Russian Society 14 S2S 23 Sci-Fi 6 Sign Language 24 SMF 15 Socialist Workers 19 SOFIA 33 TAF 38 TEF 32 TES 43 The Hist 7 The Phil 9 Trad Society 30 Trinity Arts Workshop 24 Trinity FM 19 Trinity Singers 27 Vincent de Paul 32 Visual Arts 36 Voluntary Tuition Program 7 Yoga 40 Zoological Society 8

The CSC Executive 2016

In order of appearance - left to right: (back row)

Jim Connell-Moylan (Amenities Officer) Philip Hodgins Andrew Burrows (Chair) Jason Leonard Fionn McGorry Caitríona Sheil Adam Keilthy (front row)

Liam Hunt (Secretary) Jamie Buckley (Treasurer) Síle Somers. Missing from the photo are Tilly Taylor, Sam Ford. 55